Sermon Notes - The Gospel and Idolatry

4.21.09
Tim Keller
The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
Acts 19:21-41



My notes from the conference:

Acts 19:23-41
-Paul always took on and challenged the idols of the people.

To be effective:
-Discern, Expose, Destroy
-Idols

DISCERN: If idols are confronted, after salvation a person's life will be greatly changed. If they are not confronted, they run the risk of living an unchanged life.

Every community, culture, or person looks to something as an idol.
-Something to save them

What is an idol?
Anything in your life that is so central that losing it would strip all meaning from your life.
-It is when you take a good thing and make it an ultimate thing.

EXPOSE: When you threaten idols, anger and chaos will follow.

3 kinds of idols to expose:

1. Personal

• Money
• Romance/Love
• Children

2. Religious

• Truth - the "rightness" of doctrine
• Gifts - mistake gifts for fruit
• Morality - I'm loved because of what I do

3. Cultural

• Family
• The individual
• Politics

DESTROY: When the idols are opposed, it is violent.

Paul risked his life to confront idolatry.
Jesus gave his life.
- You'll always take your life into your hands when you confront/destroy idols.

Objectively: Jesus died, conquered death
Subjectively: We need to see this